History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 66

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148

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the reasons given for this opposition was that it was thought to be a measure that would further the interests of the Camden and Amboy Com- pany, but probably the most powerful influence which defeated it was the opposition of the people of Hightstown, who wished that place to be made the terminus of the proposed road.

When the result in the Legislature became known, the citizens of Freehold held an indig- nation meeting with reference to the matter, on which occasion a number of speeches were made, and one of the most prominent men of the vil- lage took the ground that the Legislature had no right to refuse a charter for the reason that the Camden and Amboy Company would be interested and help build the road; on the con- trary, he thought the company should be com- pelled to build roads to all places where the interests of the people demanded it, in consider- ation of the exclusive privileges that company had received from the people of the State. . At

The way now being open for the construction this meeting a large delegation of citizens was of the road, a meeting of the stockholders was appointed to go to Trenton and endeavor to impress on the Legislature the claims of the people of Freehold to a charter for the road. The delegation so appointed was almost as large in numbers as the Legislature itself, and was largely composed of leading farmers of the cen tral portion of the county. On their arrival at Trenton they were met by delegations of citizens of Hightstown and Middletown Point, who op- posed the bill so vigorously that the Legislature again refused to pass it.

The friends of the project, though twice de -! feated, were not discouraged. They again made application in the session of 1851, and this time they were successful. A bill was passed March 21st, incorporating "The Freehold and James- burg Agricultural Railroad Company," appoint- ing John C. Cox, Henry Bennett, Joseph Combs, Gulick and James Buckalew appointed a com- Aaron Gulick and Richard McDowell conmis- | mittee to procure additional contracts for right

sioners to receive subscriptions to the capital stock, and authorizing the company, when or- ganized, "to survey, lay out and construct a railroad from some suitable point at or near the village of Freehokl to the railroad running from New Brunswick to Trenton, at or near the depot at Dean's Pond, crossing the Camden and Am-

The commissioners opened the books for sub- scriptions to the stock at the hotel of Nathaniel S. Rue, in Freehold, on the 19th of May, 1851; on the 20th they sat at Englishtown; on the 21st, at Jamesburg ; on the 22d, at Kingston ; and again at Frechold on the 26th, at which time about thirty thousand dollars had been subscribed. The books were kept open at the office of Joseph Combs, but only about ten thousand dollars more were subscribed during the year. It being thus evident that the neces- sary amount could not be raised by individual subscription, the friends of the enterprise applied to the Camden and Amboy Company for assist- ance, which was promptly promised, provided the necessary authority could be obtained from the Legislature. Application was accordingly made in the session of 1852, and an act was pas-ed authorizing a subscription of one hundred thousand dollars by the company.

held at Jamesburg on the 29th of June, 1852, for the purpose of electing directors. At this meeting Aaron Gulick was chairman and Henry Bennett secretary, and the following-named persons were elected directors of the company, viz .: Edwin A. Stevens, John R. Thom- son, John P. Stockton, Peter Vredenburgh, Joseph Combs, William D. Davis, Daniel H. Ellis, Aaron Gulick and JJames Buckalew. The commissioners appointed the first meeting of the directors to be held at Bordentown on the 12th of July, following. They met as ap- pointed at Kester's Hotel, and organized the board, electing Colonel William D. Davis president, and John P. Stockton secretary and treasurer. General William Cook was chosen chief engineer, and Peter Vredenburgh, Aaron

380

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

of way. Mr. Amos Richardson presented a resolution, adopted at a meeting of citizens of Freehold, relative to the location of the depot, a warm disenssion having been had upon this subject, which was finally settled by referring the matter to the company, with the simple request that it be located as near the centre of the village as possible.

The preliminary surveys were commeneed on the 8th of September, 1851, by Mr. Isaac S. Buckalew, afterwards superintendent of the road. The first line was run north of the vil- lage of Englishtown, and the surveys were con- tinued at intervals through the remainder of that year. At a meeting of the board of di- rectors, held on the 27th of July, 1852, the "southern route" was adopted, it being found to be easier of grade and cheaper of construction than the northern route, though about a half- mile longer.

The work of grading was commenced on the ' 19th of October, on Section 1, by James Buek- alew. The work of laying the track was com- menced April 4, 1853, and on the 16th of June of the same year the first locomotive rolled over the soil of Monmouth County. The track was so far completed on the 5th of July following that a train of passenger cars ran to Mrs. Roy's residence, within three miles of Freehold, to which place the track was finished on the 14th of the same month ; and on the 18th passenger trains commenced running regularly from Free- hold to Jamesburg. The cost of the road, eleven and one-half miles in length, was $220,- 666, leaving the company in debt to the amount of $90,000 over the amount of stock subscribed and paid in. On the 12th of February, 1855, the company purchased the locomotive " Wash-

ington and three passenger cars, the necessary rolling-stock having previously been furnished by the Camden and Amboy Company.

THE RARITAN AND DELAWARE BAY RAIL- ROAD COMPANY was incorporated by an aet passed on the 3d of March, 1854, the corpora- tors being William Haight and Samuel W. Jones, of Monmouth ; Washington MeKean and William Torrey, of Ocean ; Thomas H. Rich- ards and George MeHenry, of Burlington ; Jon- athan Pitney and Edward Taylor, of AAtlantic ; and Edmund L. B. Wales and Samuel S. Marey, of Cape May County. The capital stock of the company, as authorized by the act of incorpora- tion, was one million five hundred thousand dol- lars. The amount necessary for organization (three hundred thousand dollars) having been subscribed, the company organized at May's Landing in July, 1855, with the following- named board of directors, viz. : Franeis B. Chetwood, of Essex; William H. Bruere, and B. F. Randolph, of Monmouth ; William Torrey, of Ocean ; Thomas H. Richards, of Burling- ton ; Edward Taylor and Judge Walker, of Atlantie ; Thomas Williams and W. B. Miller, of Cape May; Samuel Branson and Clayton Allen, of Philadelphia. The board elected Torrey secretary, B. F. Randolph treasurer, and

On the Ist of September following, the en- gineer was authorized to advertise for proposals to grade the road. Various proposals were received, and on the 11th of October the diree- tors awarded the contracts as follows: Sections 1, 2 and 5, to James Buckalew; Section 3, to Forman & Van Wickle; 4, to McShane & Smith ; 6, to Andrew Hague; 7 and 8, to Francis B. Chetwood president, William A. Thomas O'Brien; and 9 and 10, to A. Nelson ; the work to be completed by the 1st of April, ' Israel Pemberton chief engineer. 1853.

The company was authorized to build its road from a point on Raritan Bay, eastward of Key- port, to the village of Tom's River, in Ocean County, thence to May's Landing, in Atlantic County, and thence, through the counties of At- lantie and Cape May, to Cape Island, on the Atlantic Ocean. The northern terminus of the road, on Raritan Bay, was fixed at Port Mon- mouth, where a pier of great length (nearly five thousand feet) was built for the accommodation of its business. Southward from this terminus the route of the railway through Monmouth County is through Middletown township, passing a little east of Heddin's Corners, to and across the river at Red Bank, thence to Eatontown and Farm- ingdale, and thence, through Howell township, to the county line and Brieksburg.

The commencement of the work of construc- tion on the Raritan and Delaware Bay road

381

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

was celebrated by festivities at Port Monmouth, pany was authorized " to purchase, take, have, on the 20th of May, 1856. The work progressed hold, occupy and convey such and so many but slowly to its completion from Port Mon- marl-beds as they may deem proper, situate in mouth to Eatontown, and on the 18th of June, ; 1860, a branch road was opened for travel from the latter place to Long Branch. The road was completed and opened from Port Monmouth to Squankum (Farmingdale) in February, 1861, and soon afterwards from thence to Bricksburg.

the county of Monmouth, and to open and work the same," and also "to lay out and con- struet a railroad in the county of Monmouth to run from some convenient point on the line of the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Rail- road, at or near the village of Freehold, to their In 1870 an aet was passed changing the name of the Raritan and Delaware Bay Railroad Company to that of the New Jersey Southern Railroad Company. The old company had become financially involved beyond recovery, and the road was placed in the control of a re- said marl-beds at or near the village of Farm- ingdale, with such branches as may be deemed proper, not exceeding three miles in length. . ." The road from Freehold to the marl- beds at Farmingdale was completed and opened in 1861, and on the 1st of April in that year an ceiver, by whom it was reopened in February, act was passed declaring "That it shall and 1874. Finally, the line passed to the control of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Com- pany, by which corporation it is now operated. It has never been a very prosperous road, but its construction and opening has been of great advantage to that part of Monmouth County through which it runs.

may be lawful for the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad Company to run their engines and cars over the railroad of the Squan- kum and Freehold Marl Company for the con- verance of passengers and merchandise, and to charge reasonable fares and freights therefor," the assent of the last-mentioned company being first obtained.

THE SQUANKUM RAILROAD AND MARL COMPANY was incorporated by an act of the THE FARMINGDALE AND SQUAN VILLAGE Legislature approved March 22, 1866, the RAILROAD COMPANY was incorporated by an following being the names of the incorporators: aet approved April 3, 1867, with power "to John D. Buekalew, Charles Butcher, Francis survey, lay out, locate and construct, maintain H. Holmes, Peter Cortelyou, Samuel T. Wil- and operate a railroad from some point in the liams, Joel Parker and Robert F. Stockton, Jr. township of Howell, in the county of Mon- The capital stock was one hundred thousand mouth, at or near the village of Farmingdale, to some point in the township of Wall, in said county, at or near Squan village, with the privilege of connecting the said road with any road or roads of the Squankum Railroad and Marl Company, or with the Raritan and Dela- ware Bay Railroad Company, or both." The corporators named in the aet were Osborn dollars, with power to increase to two hundred thousand dollars. The company was invested with the right and power "to survey, lay out, locate and construet, maintain and operate a railroad from some point in the county of Mon- mouth, at or near Freehold, to some point at or near Farmingdale, in said county, with the privilege of connecting with the Freehold and . Curtis, Pitney Curtis, James M. Allen, James Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad, or the Rari- 'L. Allgor, John Remson, Grandin G. Vannote, tan and Delaware Bay Railroad, or both." In Thomas J. Branin, Benjamin D. Pearce, John 1868 an act was passed, approved February 18th, E. Tilton, J. B. Gifford, Samnel Williams and Brittain Hurley. By the construction and com- pletion of this road a continuous railway line was furnished from the sea-coast at Squan village, by way of Farmingdale and Freehold,

incorporating the Squankum and Freehold Marl Company, with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars, with power to increase to five hundred thousand dollars. The corporator- were John D. Buckalew, John P. Stockton, to the old Camden and Amboy road at James- Robert F. Stockton, John G. Stevens, Richard burg. F. Stevens and Isaac S. Buckalew. This com-

On the 24th of April, 1879, the three cor-

382

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

porations composing the above-mentioned line from Jamesburg to the sea,-viz., the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad Com- pany, the Squankum and Freehold Marl Company and the Farmingdale and Squan Village Railroad Company-were, in accordance with the provisions of acts of the Legislature, approved March 10, 1874, and March 7, 1878, All hope of building the road at that time be- 1 ing relinquished, the old routine of carting ten, fifteen, twenty, or even more miles still went on year after year, until some enterprising citizens began again to agitate the matter of building a railroad. Leading business men and farmers now took a more practical, pronounced interest in the enterprise. Meetings were held in the interest of the proposed road, and finally the Legislature of the State was petitioned to charter a railroad to run " from some point in or near the village of Freehold, in the county of Mon- mouth, and thence through the said county of Monmouth, by way of the village of Matawan, to some snitable point at the village of Key- merged and consolidated into one, as the Free- hold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad Company. The directors of the three corpora- tions signing this consolidation agreement were, -Of the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad Company : Benjamin Fish, Lewis Perrine, G. B. Roberts, Strickland Kneass, J. N. Du Barry, Joel Parker, Charles A. Bennett, I. S. Buckalew, R. S. Conover. Of the Squan- kum and Freehold Marl Company : John G. Stevens, Richard F. Stevens, F. W. Stevens, John D. Buckalew, J. L. Buckalew, I. S. Buckalew. Of the Farmingdale and Squan Village Railroad Company : Strickland Kneass, J. N. Du Barry, A. J. Cassatt, I. S. Buckalew, 'port." On the 5th of April, 1867, the Legisla- S. B. Oviatt, A. A. Higgins, Hal Allaire, ture passed an act to incorporate the " Monmouth Albert Hewson, Edmund Smith.

The road from Jamesburg to Squan village has since been leased to the Pennsylvania Rail- road Company, and now forms a link in the lines operated by that company.

THE FREEHOLD AND NEW YORK RAILWAY, now in successful operation, is the successor of the old Freehold and Keyport Railroad project, which, from a time commencing about forty years ago, was a favorite project of the citizens of Monmouth. Year after year the farmers resid- ing in the interior of the county had carted their produce to boats at Middletown Point and Key- port, in order that it might be transported di- rectly to New York. The wearisome journey, the wear and tear on wagon and team, the loss of much valuable time was a convincing argu- ment, showing that a railroad directly to Key- port would prove an important factor in devel- oping the resources of the county. At last, in 1841 the Freehold and Keyport Railroad was chartered ; but the determined and persistent op- position and hostility of people living along the | of the law firm of Clarkson N. Potter and James proposed line, and the consequent difficulty of obtaining funds to carry through the enterprise, | enterprise was resuscitated under Mr. Lowrey's

caused it to be finally abandoned by its project- ors. The charter was owned principally, or en- tirely, by Judge Peter Vredenburgh, who, after the definite abandonment of the project, was of- fered one thousand dollars for it, but refused the offer, because he doubted the good faith and honesty of purpose of the parties who made it.

County Agricultural Railroad," the names of the incorporators being Joseph D. Hoff, David M. Rue, Samuel Conover, Thomas V. Arrowsmith. Henry S. Little, T. V. Du Bois, Richard S. Hartshorne, William Spader, Charles Haight, John McLelland, John W. Herbert, Christian D. Emson, Alfred Walling, Lafayette Conover, Joseph T. Laird, Amzi C. MeLean, Hendrick S. Conover, Jacob Herbert and Joseph H. Ro- sell. The announcement of this fact was hailed with delight by the farmers and business men of Monmouth County, for they believed it to be the harbinger of better times. The route was laid out, two-thirds of the grading was done, most of the cross-ties were procured, and the road bridges were constructed (D. C. Jackson, of Middletown, N. Y., being the contractor), when, in 1875, the company became bankrupt, and by order of the Court of Chancery the road was placed in the hands of S. M. Dickinson, E-q., as receiver. Mr. Dickinson, in March, 1876, sold the road to James P. Lowrey, Esq .. P. Lowrey, New York City. The languishing

383

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

energetie management, and the name of the road was changed for the one which it now bears. The contract for the completion of the road as far as Freehold Junction was given to M. S. Coleman & Brother, of Madison, N. J. On the 25th of May, 1877, work was recommenced, and was pushed forward with such despatch that on the 2nd of July following (only a little over a month), the road was finished as far as the Junction, and the first train was run from Free- hold. Work on the remainder of the route was suspended until 1879, when it was resumed, and was completed in August, 1880. It now forms a part of the lines leased and operated by the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company.

THE NEW YORK AND LONG BRANCH RAILROAD COMPANY was incorporated by an act of the Legislature passed April 8, 1868, with power and authority " to survey, lay out and construct a railroad from any point at or near the village of South Amboy, in the county of Middlesex, to any point on the line of the

Long Branch. The road is now operated by the Philadelphia and Reading and the Penn- sylvania Railroad Company, both of which corporations run their trains over its tracks to Long Branch.

The first section of the line of railway which now extends along the entire sea coast of Mon- mouth County is that which was built under an act passed in 1856, incorporating the Long Branch and Sandy Hook Railroad Company. Its northern terminus was-as at present-at the " Horse Shoe," on the inside of the Sandy Hook peninsula, from which point the "Plym- outh Rock" and other steamers made the connection with New York, carrying nearly all the passengers between the city and Long Branch, until the ronte was in a great measure superseded by the opening of the all-rail lines.

THE LONG BRANCH AND SEA-SHORE RAIL- ROAD COMPANY was incorporated under an act of the Legislature, approved March 20, 1863, with a capital stock of $300,000, and authority Raritan and Delaware Bay Railroad north of to increase the same to $800,000; the road to Eatontown, with the privilege of extending the run from " a point on Sandy Hook, in the same to Long Branch, in the county of Mon- county of Monmouth, at or near the Horse mouth ; said road to run by the way of the Shoe, running through Long Branch ; thence, villages of Matawan and Red Bank." The through or near Squan village, to a point on corporators were Samuel Barrows, Charles Tom's River, at or near Tom's River village, Gould, Jacob Herbert, E. Boudinot Colt, John in the county of Ocean ; thence to Tuckerton, Travers, Robert Rennie, Anthony Reckless, in the county of Burlington ; " the construction James H. Peters, William H. Hendrickson, of the road to be commenced within three years, Henry S. Little, Henry W. Johnson, Aaron and to be completed within seven years from Longstreet, Richard S. Conover, Robert Allen, the 4th of July next ensuing. By a supple- Jr. and William L. Terhune. Capital stock, mentary act, dated February 16, 1870, this company and the New Jersey Southern Railroad Company were authorized, by and with the consent of two-thirds of the stockholders of said companies, to consolidate, and the roads to be united by a branch or branches of either road, at or near the village of Long Branch. This road was completed and opened to the Mana- «quan River in 1876, and thence, soon after- wards, to Pemberton. In 1878 the mortgage was foreclosed, and Isaac S. Buckalew, Esq., was appointed receiver. In May, 1879, it was sold by him, and afterwards reorganized and became a part of the system of the United Railroads three hundred thousand dollars, " with liberty to increase the same to six hundred thousand dollars." In 1869 an act was passed author- izing the extension of this road northward, to cross the Raritan River from South Ambos, by ferry or bridge, with a draw of not less than one hundred feet in width, and to connect with Woodbridge and Perth Amboy Railroad, or any other road which might be built to intersect its route. Under an act of incorporation ap- proved March 30, 1869, the road was extended north ward from Perth Amboy to Elizabethport, there joining the main line of the New Jersey Central Railroad Company, which became the of New Jersey. The southern part of the line is lessee of the whole line from Elizabethport to

now operated exclusively by the Pennsylvania

384

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Railroad Company, but in Monmouth County it is also used by the trains of the Philadelphia and Reading Company.

THE PEMBERTON AND HIGHTSTOWN RAIL- ROAD COMPANY was incorporated by an act of the Legislature, passed March 24, 1864. The capital stock was $500,000, with authority to increase it to 8,1,000,000 ;. the road to run from the town of Pemberton, Burlington County, to Hightstown, in Mercer County, con- necting at Pemberton with the Burlington County Railroad, and at Hightstown with the old Camden and Amboy line, passing by the villages of Wrightstown, New Egypt, Horners- town, Fillmore and Imlaystown ; the construc- tion of the road to be commeneed within three years, and to be completed within six years from the 4th day of July next ensuing. By the com- pletion of this road and its opening, in 1867, the people of the southwestern part of Mon- mouth County for the first time enjoyed the ad- vantages of railroad communication. The road passed under the control of the United Railroads of New Jersey, and was finally included in the lease of the united lines to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, by which it is now operated.

POPULATION.

The earliest statement which has been found relative to the number of inhabitants in Mon- mouth County was made in the year 1726, in a letter written by Governor William Burnet to the Lords of Trade, in London. In that con- munication the Governor gave the population of the several counties of New Jersey, of which Monmouth was then the most populous. The figures given were: Monmouth, 4879; Essex, 4,200; Burlington, 4129; Middlesex, 4000 ; Salem, 3967; Hunterdon, 3377 ; Gloucester, 3229; Bergen, 2673; Somerset, 2271; Cape May, 668.

In 1737 the population of Monmouth County was 6086 ; in 1745, 8627. By the first United States census, taken in 1790, the population of the county was 16,918. In 1800 (second cen- sus) it was 19,872; in 1810, 22,150; in 1820, 25,038; in 1830, 29,233; in 1840, 32,909; in 1850 (the territory of Ocean County having been taken from Monmouth), 30,313; in 1860,

39,346. In 1865 (State census) it was 42,- 868; in 1870, 46,195. The census of 1875 gave a population of 48,500, and that of 1880 (the last enumeration by the United States), 55,538. The population of the several town- ships and some of the principal villages of the county, in 1870, 1875 and 1880 is here given, viz. :

TOWNSHIP OR VILLAGE.

1870.

1875.

1880.

Atlantic township.

1,713

1,653

1,743

Allentown village ..

1,010

Asbury Park village.

1,640

Eatontown township.

2,578

2,642

Eatontown village ...

525

Farmingdale village.

882

Freehold township

4,231

3,571

4,3021

Freehold town ..

2,432

Holmdel township.

1,415

1,338

1,575

Howell township

3.371

3,300

3,374

Long Branch district.

3,833

Manalapan township.

2,286

2,094

2,175

Marlborough township.

2,231

2,274

2,193

Matawan township.

2,839

2,875

2,699

Matawan village ...

1,437

Middletown township

4,639

4,517

5,059

Millstone township

2,087

2,091

2,080

Neptune township ..

6,189

6,109

6.027

Raritan township

3,443

3,564

3,891

Red Bank town ..

2,684

Shrewsbury township

5,440

6,330

6,526

Upper Freehold township

3,640

3,598

3,236

Wall township

2,671

2,613

3.829

CHAPTER XVI.

THE TOWN AND TOWNSHIP OF FREEHOLD.

THIE town or village of Freehold dates its history back to the year 1715, when, by the location and erection of the first court-house of the county, it became, as it has since continued for a period of nearly a century and three- quarters, the county-seat of Monmouth.

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History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 66

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co. Number of Pages: 1148

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148